In the case of the known urine collection equipment, empyting of the collection pouch was only possible by severing the connection between the catheter tube and the pouch. During this procedure, the exposed end of the catheter and the inside of the pouch were freely accessible to bacteria and the like. Another problem common to the known collection pouches was a determination of the quantity of urine flow. Typically, these known devices require the use of a urinometer with which it was possible to determine the flow of urine as a function of time. Also, in the case of these known devices, it was not possible to determine at first glance whether urine was flowing or not. Further, it was not possible to determine quickly how great the quantity of flowing urine was since the urine from the inflow tube moved down on the wall of the urine pouch. Connecting a urinometer into the fluid path was time consuming and tedious, and in turn, meant severance of the possibly sterile path between catheter and urine collection pouch.
The space requirement of the known systems was considerable since the urinometer tupically has a height of approximately 30 centimeters and requires a special suspending mechanism that makes the entire arrangement bulky and costly. Decontamination of such a large device is expensive.
Besides these purely technical disadvantages, the known systems additionally have the disadvantage that nursing personnel, and also the patient, can become infected with germs. Experience in the case of patient infection shows that, with the known drainage systems, about eighty percent of all patients become infected after two days on the system. This infection makes additional treatments necessary. It would naturally be advantageous to avoid these treatments.
Described in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 24 38 153, published Feb. 20, 1975, is an arrangement that consists of a rigid headpiece and an adjoining, firmly attached, flexible pouch part. Here, the rigid headpiece consists of a rigid device, preferably made of a duroplastic, equipped with a suspension means. A chamber constituting the measuring part is formed in this headpiece. Joined to the chamber is a connecting line to the pouch part. This connecting line must be manually manipulated for connection. Moreover, joined to the flexible pouch part is an emptying contrivance, and provided in the headpiece itself is an air opening equipped with a filter. This filter is in communication with the inside of the flexible pouch part through a second connecting line. This known device is extraordinarily bulky and does not represent a urine collection and measurement system which is closed to bacteria and germs.